Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find"
Motif of Old Southern Values as Evidenced by the Grandmother
“A Good Man is Hard to Find”, by Flannery O’Connor, is a short story centered on the grandmother. Her actions and statements demonstrate the values and ideas of the Old South. The continuous presence of Old Southern traditions becomes the motif of this short story.
Racism and White Superiority
The grandmother refers to a young black boy they pass along on the road as a “nigger” and a “pickaninny.” Her generation used these terms as a part of everyday vocabulary, but they are now considered highly offensive. She also demonstrates her belief in white superiority by commenting on how the boy “didn’t have any britches on.” Instead of acknowledging that the day was warm or that maybe he didn’t want to wear pants, the grandmother assumes that “he probably didn’t have any.” She also implies that that white families can afford clothes and take better care of their families “little niggers in the country don’t have things like we do.”
Importance of Appearances
Before heading out on a family trip, the grandmother wanted to make sure she was in a ladylike outfit, complete with “white cotton gloves,” “a navy blue straw sailor hat,” and a “navy blue dress.” It was important to her that she looked dressed up so that if “anyone [saw] her dead . . . [they] would know at once that she was lady.” The author also noted how “children’s mother still had on slacks,” providing a contrast between the two generations.
Character Based on Blood
A belief of the old South was that a person could be considered a good person based on their ancestry or blood; the higher the class a family was, the better the person was assumed to be. The grandmother attempts to persuade the Misfit not to kill her by repeatedly pointing out that he is “not a bit common” and that he is “a good man”. She implies that he is a good person solely because he is not of common, lowly blood (instead of based on merits). She also tries to manipulate the situation by reminding him to adhere to the code of gentle blood and that a man “wouldn’t shoot a lady.”
The Southern Christian Hypocrite
The grandmother exemplifies the Southern Christian hypocrite who criticizes others, but whose beliefs and practices only go so far as the public demonstration of attending church every Sunday. The grandmother exemplifies the hypocrite when she told the Misfit that he should pray so that “Jesus would help [him].” Although she tells him to pray for himself, she never once utters a prayer for a member of her family, herself, or the Misfit. She also never mentions her beliefs in God or Jesus until she is about to die; only when faced with death does the grandmother act as if Jesus is the most important figure in her life.
Epitome of Old Southern Ideals
The grandmother’s ideologies are prominent because she is the main character of the story. Her persistence to adhering to the codes of her upbringing are prevalent through the short story. Although she believes herself as better than every one else (due to her noble blood and being a Southern Christian), she is still racist and relies more on keeping appearances than actually being a good and moral person.
For the full text visit: pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~surette/goodman.html
Grandmother
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